Gay Wilkinson likes launching iron anvils high into the air. He's not entirely sure why and has a lot to say about how men and women respond differently to his hobby.

Anyway, he places one anvil on top of another and fills the reservoir in between with gunpowder.

Next Wilkinson herds the crowd to a spot about 50 feet from the loaded anvils and delivers a well-rehearsed introduction. "It'll be loud, but ya won't hardly remember that 'cause there'll be so much else goin' on," he says. "There'll be a slight second of fear after that anvil goes shootin' up and starts comin' back down. It'll look like it's going to land on top of you. It won't. Unless you hear me yell, 'Run!' Then you might wanna move.

"Now, some of you might be wonderin'," he continues, "'Why in the heck we would want to do somethin' like this?'"